Chapter Twenty-Six the Cold War, 1945–1952
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CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX THE COLD WAR, 1945–1952 CHAPTER OVERVIEW This chapter covers the beginnings of the Cold War under the Truman presidency as it affected both foreign and domestic policies. Peace after World War II was marred by a return to the 1917 rivalry of the United States and the Soviet Union. Truman and his advisors introduced the basic Cold War policies of containment in the Truman Doctrine, the Marshall Plan and the North Atlantic Treaty Organization. With the victory of the communists in China and the outbreak of the Korean War, America extended the Cold War to Asia as well. The Cold War prompted the U.S. to rebuild its World War II enemies, Germany and Japan, as counterweights to the Soviets. At home, Americans wanted to return to normal by bringing the troops back home, spending for consumer goods and re-establishing family life, but many changing social patterns brought anxieties. A second Red Scare was caused by the Cold War rhetoric of a bipartisan foreign policy and Truman’s loyalty program, but Senator Joseph McCarthy’s tactics symbolized the era. Defense spending increased and the American economy became depend- ent on it to maintain recovery. Truman tried to extend elements of the New Deal in his Fair Deal but with minimal success. CHAPTER OBJECTIVES After reading the chapter and following the study suggestions given, students should be able to: 1. Illustrate the effects of the Red Scare by discussing the college campus community after World War II. 2. Trace the development of the American policy of containment as applied to Europe and to Asia. 3, Summarize the foreign and domestic policies of the Truman administration. 4. Discuss the major causes, personalities and events of the Red Scare. 5. Explain the meaning of the Age of Anxiety and its reflection in American society and in popular culture. 6. Outline the events of the Korean War and its effect on American foreign policy and the political fortunes of Truman and the Democratic Party. 7. Making connections: Chapter twenty-three and Chapter twenty-six: compare the Red Scare after World War I to the one after World War II. CRITICAL THINKING/READING SKILLS AMERICAN COMMUNITIES: University of Washington, Seattle: Students and Faculty Face the Cold War: What happened at the University of Washington to Dr. Rader and the others? What was the Cold War and how did it affect the campus? Why were there record numbers of students on campus after World War II? How did older students view campus rules? Why did certain groups regard the campus as centers of “red propaganda?” What were most complaints actually about? 351 GLOBAL INSECURITIES AT WAR’S END: Why did global insecurity exist at the war’s end and what era did it actually date back to? What two powers were the center of power and why were they in competition? The American Century: What was the idea of the American Century and who proposed the idea? What was America’s position as a major military and economic power after World War II? Why did this success seem fragile to many Americans? What was the view of many businesses to ensure continued growth? How did the Soviets see the American Century? Hopes for Collective Security: What hope was there for collective security? What did opinion polls show about American views of the United Nations? What were the General Assembly and the Security Council of the United Nations? Who were the five permanent members of the Security Council? What veto power did these powers have? What limited the UN and where was it successful? What role did Eleanor Roosevelt play in the U.N. and its programs? The Division of Europe: How did Europe get divided after World War II? Why was Roosevelt willing to accept a Soviet sphere of influence? Where did the Soviets gain control? Why did the USSR and France oppose German unification? How did Roosevelt’s view about Germany compare with many American business leaders? What was Churchill’s iron curtain? THE POLICY OF CONTAINMENT: What was the Policy of Containment and how was it developed? How and where did President Truman apply the policy and how successful was it? What was Truman’s view of the Soviets compared to Roosevelt’s? The Truman Doctrine: What was the Truman Doctrine? Where and why did he first apply it? How successful was the doctrine? How did Truman get public support for this doctrine? How did Congress respond? Who was George Kennan and what were his views on dealing with the Soviets? What was Walter Lippmann’s view? The Marshall Plan: What was the Marshall Plan and what was its aim? How successful was this plan? Who was Marshall and what was his reason for proposing the plan? How did the Soviets react? The Berlin Crisis and the Formation of NATO: What was the situation in Berlin and why did a crisis develop? What was the nature of the crisis and how did NATO result? What was Operation Vittles and how did the Soviets respond? What was NATO and how did the Soviets respond? What was Senator Taft’s criticism of Truman’s policy? What did polls reveal about Truman’s taught line? The Cold War in Asia: How did the Cold War in Asia compare to the one in Europe? What were the areas of conflict and the results of the Truman Doctrine in Asia? What poli- cies did the U.S. follow in rebuilding Japan? What was our policy in the Philippines? What was the recommendation of Acheson in his White Paper? What was the Asia First group and what criticism did it make of Truman’s policy? Atomic Diplomacy: What was the implication of Atomic Diplomacy? What was Bernard Baruch’s proposal to the UN Atomic Energy Commission? How did the Soviets respond? How did the military and scientists differ on the timing of the Soviets gaining the bomb? THE TRUMAN PRESIDENCY: What was the character of Truman and the Truman presi- dency? What themes did he follow and how successful was he? 352 “To Err Is Truman:” What were Truman’s errors and what did he do to try to correct them politically? What was his public approval rating within a year of assuming office? What did Truman try to do in reconverting the economy and how did the public and Congress react? How did Truman try to revive the New Deal programs? How did Republicans try to turn back the New Deal and what particular group was their target? The 1948 Election: How did various Democrats and Truman see the 1948 election? Who were the Americans for Democratic Action and what did they do? What was the difference between Wallace and Truman on views? What changes did Truman make on civil rights? What happened to Wallace’s candidacy? What was the outcome of the election? The Fair Deal: What was Truman’s Fair Deal program and how did it compare in ideas and theory to the New Deal? What elements of Fair Deal were enacted? How did the Truman administration use the threat of confrontation with the Soviets politically? What was the result? THE COLD WAR AT HOME: How were Americans fighting the Cold War at home? Who were the “sides” in the war at home? What subversive activities were found? What was the result? The National Security State: How did the National Security State develop? What were the provisions of the National Security Act of 1947? What was Executive Order 9835 and how did Tom Clark carry it out? What groups were considered subversive? The Red Scare in Hollywood: How did the Red Scare affect Hollywood? What was the House Un-American Activities Committee? Who were the “friendly witnesses” and the “unfriendly witnesses?” What was Red Channels or the blacklist? Spy Cases: What spy cases developed and what were the events of the cases? How did the Democrats first see the Alger Hiss case? What was the role of Richard Nixon in these events? McCarthyism: What was McCarthyism? How many Communists did McCarthy uncover in the State Department? What did he accuse the Democrats of? To what extent did McCarthy’s ideas strike a chord? Who were his targets and how well did he succeed? What individuals and organizations helped him and who opposed him? How did McCarthy lose his popularity? AGE OF ANXIETY: Why was this era called the Age of Anxiety? What did Americans do in reaction to it? How wealthy was the U.S.? The Two-Income Family: What encouraged the development of the two-income family? How had the war affected the two-income idea? What group of women was seeking employment? What uneasiness did this create and how did some critics connect it to communism? What were the views of Lundberg, Farnham, Parsons, Spock, and J. Edgar Hoover? How did the GI Bill affect women? What was the American woman’s dilemma as stated by Life magazine? Religion and Education: How did religion and education respond to the Cold War uneasi- ness and fears of communism? Who was Billy Graham and what were his views? How did he view schools? What was the “Zeal for Democracy” program and how did it reflect the Cold War? What were the messages of historians such as Samuel Eliot Morison and Richard Hofstader? The Cultural Noir: What was the cultural noir or mood? How was this reflected in films and books? What problems were there with symbols of prosperity? 353 END OF THE DEMOCRATIC ERA: What was the unresolvable dilemma that Truman faced and how did the trap of his own rhetoric affect the Democratic era? The Korean War: How and why did the Korean War begin? How did the United States respond to the war? How did Kennan’s view compare to Truman’s? How did the Soviets regard the war? What effect did accusations of “selling out” Eastern Europe and “losing” China have on Truman? How did American citizens view our involvement according to polls? How did the first part of U.S.